Sunderland will be confronted with Sheffield United in the play-off final of the championship after the dramatic 123rd minute head of Dan Ballard led them in the semi-final along Coventry City.
Last Friday, Sunderland won 2-1 away from home and wasted that lead in Tuesday's second stage in the stadium of Licht when Ephron Mason-Clark of Coventry scored to take the draw to extra time.
With fines appear, however, center-back Ballard Powered Enzo Le Fee's Corner in Off The Langbalk to anesthetize visitors to Frank Lampard and book the Black Cats' Place in Wembley on 24 May.
A hectic first half saw opportunities at both ends, with Le Fee volleying off-target for the hosts of Regis Le Bris, while Jack Rudoni called over the bar for Coventry.
Sunderland became more and more nervous as the second half stated when Lampard's side sent a barrel of crosses in their area, and Coventry's Equalizer arrived when the Mason-Clark sides Milan van Ewijk's delivery to the right corner in the 76th minute.
The Sky Blues should have won it three minutes after the stopping time, but Haji Wright nodded somehow wide from six meters while Sunderland survived extra time.
Sunderland improved in the extra period, but it was only in the third minute of the stopping time that they had their goal, Ballard stooped to distract the delivery of Le Fee in the woodwork and wild partying in the Stadium of Light.
There are no words for the moment. pic.twitter.com/LFJWRNO2R6
– Sunderland AFC (@sunderlandAFC) 13 May 2025
Data Debrief: Black cats pull it out of the bag
Sunderland can only be returned from returning to the Premier League for the first time since their 2017 relegation, after she had finished Coventry's perfect record in the play-offs-they had won their previous two of such games, 4-1 in Notts County and 1-0 at Middlesbrough.
In the meantime, Sunderland had ended the championship season with three straight 1-0 defeats at home. They had never lost four straight house matches without scoring, and although they did not find a road in 90 minutes, they finally did the job.
Including extra time, Sunderland has never lost a play-off competition in smoker park or the Stadium of Light, winning seven and two signs.
Coventry was left to Rue Wright's 93rd minutes Miss, of an opportunity with an expected goals (XG) value of 0.49. A stop-time goal went in half an hour later and ended their promotion dream.
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